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Small Cabin Forum / Member's Projects and Photos / New 16x24 cabin going up in Alaska
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KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 8 Nov 2012 19:43
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You aren't in Alaska. Insurers from the lower 48 don't like to deal with us. Called one a month and a half ago and they didn't call back. Local company wants all the above

TheCabinCalls
Member
# Posted: 8 Nov 2012 20:07
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We were able to get construction or under construction insurance. That would protect us in case the stucture was damaged during the build.

oldbuddy
# Posted: 8 Nov 2012 20:54
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oldbuddy
Insurance.........what's that?????

Old Old Buddy

silverwaterlady
Member
# Posted: 8 Nov 2012 22:45 - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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Our cabin is not in the lower 48 it's in Canada.

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 10 Nov 2012 16:09
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In CANADA you can get insurance? Alaska s***s for stuff like that.

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 16 Nov 2012 14:34
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Well, we got to the cabin for a few days. We got the woodstove up and running (the installer put the double wall pipe upside down, so it was a cinch after we knew that) and got the inside up to a cozy 61 degrees (it was 20 degrees outside).

Hubby got cracking. He put up a couple of overhead fluorescent lights and by extension cord to the camper got us light. Wow, what a difference! We could see the place really well for the first time. Then he began wiring. We won't be hooked up to electric until spring (difficult to dig trenching in hard ground) but we will be wired to go.

Then he insulated over his electrical right away. We want to be warm and know that colder weather is coming.

He also created a bathroom "wall" with a bit of wood and a tarp.

We sipped coffee and had popcorn in the cabin the first night. He grinned ear to ear. Can't sleep there yet, but next time.

I ordered a memory foam mattress, Bob will build a bed for me. I also got all the linens.

The only trouble is cooking now. Our Coleman decided to give up the ghost. Will have to wrangle a good one soon.
"bathroom" walls
"bathroom" walls
woodstove blazing
woodstove blazing
lights and some insulation
lights and some insulation
outline of the "kitchen"
outline of the "kitchen"


KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 16 Nov 2012 14:36
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Oops. That last pic is an outline of the bed near the bedroom window.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 16 Nov 2012 14:44
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Fun and exciting isn't it?!! You will have to do your cooking on top your wood stove...
The first night sleeping at the cabin is such a cool adventure! Enjoy!

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 16 Nov 2012 14:54
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Can't figure out weather the woodstove top would make soup. Is it hot enough

I haven't ever had anything but a fireplace, so this is all REALLY new to me.

Ideas (recipes)?
kitchen layout.  Fridge on left, stove on right
kitchen layout. Fridge on left, stove on right


trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 16 Nov 2012 16:34
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I'm sure it would be hot enough-especially if you just stoked it up! I know if I'm going to want to cook on ours or not and if I am then I will wait and get the fire going real good right before I want to cook. If I am just heating something up it isn't as important.

This weekend I am bringing homemade chili but I already made it at home today so i will just need to heat it up when we are ready to eat. I try to do a lot of prep or precooking at home for now because we don't have running water. It will be nice once we get our propane stove hooked up...if i don't blow the place to the high heavens!

I suggest you start with very simple things-heat hot chocolate or a can of something and then move on to pancakes or eggs and meats. You'll get it after a while

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 16 Nov 2012 18:43
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I reheated a percolator full of coffee. THAT was much appreciated by the other half.

He grins constantly. I think he likes that cabin or something.

I just bought some Sonoma Lodge dishes to complete a set I started (too late, they were discontinuing them when I discovered them). My sister-in-law picked them up for me.

Now. . . . . how to break the news to him. He has gotten kind of worried about money lately.



KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 8 Dec 2012 22:19
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Hubby went to the cabin alone, well, with the dogs. He insulated the roof, and finished the walls! I am sooooooh excited. We will, hopefully, be going over New Years. Can't wait!!!!

BigDuke6
Member
# Posted: 9 Dec 2012 00:06
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It is always interesting to see and read about other folks projects. I look forward to more.

BigDuke6
Member
# Posted: 9 Dec 2012 11:26
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Now that you have insulation in the roof, what is your plan for finishing that part of it out? I have a similar setup, and have not insulated it at all yet. But, that is on my list of things to do.

trollbridge
Member
# Posted: 9 Dec 2012 16:19
Reply 


Quoting: KSalzwedel
Hubby went to the cabin alone, well, with the dogs. He insulated the roof, and finished the walls! I am sooooooh excited. We will, hopefully, be going over New Years. Can't wait!!!!

Too bad you didn't get to go along! Sounds like lots of progress being made though....YAY!

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 10 Dec 2012 16:24
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My husband has to do the electrical wiring (removing insulation and putting it back up again, but hey, we will be warmer). Once we do that and complete it, we will consider what to do with the ceiling. He is leaning toward t&G. I think it is expensive, and am leaning toward sheetrock (cheaper, but more time consuming).

littlesalmon4
Member
# Posted: 11 Dec 2012 11:36
Reply 


You can absolutely make soup on the wood stove. We have made everything from Moose roast, roast chicken, chilli, spagetti and about everything else that needs heat. We have some ceramic floor tiles that are about 1/2" thick. We add them under a pot until you get the right amount of heat. Coffee will boil if you sit it right on the stove, put a couple of tiles under it and it stays hot all day without turning to mud. We also have a large tub of water on the stove for hot water. With a tile under it does not boil away but it sure is hot.

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 12 Dec 2012 16:24
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Thanks littlesalmon4! I have a trivet. Will that work like the tile? I was afraid to put the coffee pot right on the stove (afraid the heat might burn through the metal of the pot). Now I don't have to worry.

littlesalmon4
Member
# Posted: 12 Dec 2012 16:54
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Depending on the trivet design I think it would work fine. If it does not meet your satisfaction you can likely pick up some left over tile at a building store for cheap. Scenery around your place reminds me of my place especially the moose. Not to much difference between Alaska and Yukon.
moose.jpg
moose.jpg


BigDuke6
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2012 15:41
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Please share some more pics with us. I am really enjoying following your progress, and getting ideas for my place.

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 15 Dec 2012 05:18
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Can't get to cabin for a while with holidays, but will do as soon as possible. Yukon looks much the same. Loved BC while driving through too.

beachman
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2012 18:57
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Just wanted to add that in Canada you can get insurance, but like most places in North America, they will nickel and dime you on any claim and deny any payout if there are any code violations within a mile (kilometre). Therefore I decided to forego insurance and take the risk myself. However, liability insurance could be very useful and I am looking into this.

Montanagirl
Member
# Posted: 28 Dec 2012 20:20
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Quoting: KSalzwedel
I just bought some Sonoma Lodge dishes to complete a set I started (too late, they were discontinuing them when I discovered them).

Just googled that pattern . . . I LOVE it!!!! so adorable!

oldbuddy
# Posted: 29 Dec 2012 12:50
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Haven't talked to you folks for awhile. Looks like you're coming right along. Your worry about putting the coffee pot right directly on the stove over the flames reminded me of myself a year or so ago. I told Old Buddy that I was going to try to put the coffee pot on top of the little circular lid covering the stove. He asked me why I didn't take the lid off and put the pot directly over the heat. I told him I was afraidI might melt it or something. Then he asked, "Do you suppose that wood fire is hotter than putting a pot over your gas stove at home, or an electric stove at home?" Needless to say, we used the woodstove numerous times since then to cook/fry different foods....right over the open flame! Just like Burger King
You need to get some more photos of your progress and post them.
Santa was good to me this year. He and the Mrs. got me stainless metal dishes with a porcelein-like finish (blue or green with little white speckles). There were plates, bowls, cups and silverware for four! She also got me a metal rack for wood from Cabela's for our front porch. We have enough cherry cut to last through next winter probably and it will fit nicely on the porch. Lastly, she had a beautiflul sign which says "The Hawk's Nest" on the top line and "Elevation 1168 feet" on the lower line. Old Buddy kind of named it that early last year when we noticed several hawks making circles in the sky. I really likes it. It's made from California Redwood. I'll post a pic after I get it put on.

I had full intentions of going up today for the day but the flu and cold hit our family pretty hard. Maybe New Years Day I'll go up. I'll bet it's really pretty up there right now. Probably has 7-8 inches of snow on the ground. God....I miss it. I've never seen more than an inch before at the cabin. I'm sure you've seen lots of snow already in your neckof the woods!

Anyway....have a Healthy, Happy, Prosperous New Year. Let us hear from you! Old Old Buddy

silverwaterlady
Member
# Posted: 29 Dec 2012 17:10 - Edited by: silverwaterlady
Reply 


Beachman-The replacement cost of our log cabin is 5 times what it cost to build. If we didn't have insurance and something happened we would never be able to rebuild. I've never had to file a claim and hope I never have to. The cost of insurance IMO is worth it considering the worry I would have if I was not insured and something happened.

oldbuddy
# Posted: 29 Dec 2012 21:14
Reply 


silverwaterlady
I'm sure there are several people on this site that cannot get insurance....especially if they are off the hardtop road on private property with a locked chain or gate to keep tresspassers out. When you have a cabin on top of a very steep hill,mountain, etc., which requires a four-wheeler on some occasions, instead of a 4-wheel drive truck, you cannot buy insurance. Don't forget...the locked gate also locks out the fire department and police department. No fire-truck passage...no insurance. No police car passage...no insurance.

This is the reason we never lock the door to our cabin when we aren't there. If someone wants in...they'll beat the windows out...and I'd rather they just come in and find that there is little worth taking that would be worth much. I guess that's why I'm in no big hurry to finish the inside real nice. I love going to the cabin and wouldn't even mind if someone stayed in it to get out of the weather....just so they didn't intentionally destroy it. And then there are the trees to worry about, the lightning, etc. Most insurance companies will not insure a cabin if a wood-burner is the only source of heat....which is about 75% plus on this forum, from what I've seen. Like I told someone on here a year or so ago......sometimes you just have to have a little faith.

I hope I don't sound too pessimistic....just trying to be honest about it. One thing about it....we all know this going in on our little adventures. I just try not to think about it....too much.

Old Old Buddy

silverwaterlady
Member
# Posted: 29 Dec 2012 21:34
Reply 


We have no address,our drive is 8000 feet long,no nearby neighbors and we were able to get insured. We do not have a wood stove because I knew we would not be able to get insurance. The point is that some people can get their cabins insured but choose not to. I may also have a lot more cash invested in my cabin than you do.

There was a cabin owner on here a few years ago that put his heart and soul into building a cabin. Did not insure it and ended up losing it in a fire. Don't know if he ever rebuilt.

oldbuddy
# Posted: 30 Dec 2012 00:09
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silverwaterlady
Maybe you misunderstood me......I'm not complaining...I'm just offering my opinion.

I looked all over the forum for your site but didn't locate it. Do you have one here? Most certainly you have more invested then I do. My son and I chose to build the cabin in a very desolate part of our acreage. Even if the road was nice and easy to drive (which it isn't) there is no way that a fire=truck could manuever the switchbacks. Even if we used propane heat....we still couldn't get insurance....according to my insurance company. O.O.B.

oldbuddy
# Posted: 1 Jan 2013 07:40
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KSalzwedel
I'm sorry about the discussion with Silverwaterlady on your site. I didn't mean for that to happen. Actually I forgot I was on someone else's site.
On an interesting note I've been "communicating" with a gentleman from Moscow, Russia about our cabins. He speaks Pretty good English and has a very nice 19X19, somewhere outside of Moscow. I was so excited to talk to him about life in Russia. He started out with just a few comments on the last set of photos we posted and wished Old Buddy "Merry Christmas." When I recontacted him I found out that his cabin was in Russia. I can't tell you how excited I am to exchange information about our two countries. He may have some difficulty understaning all my English but we are communicating

I wish you a great 2013! Hope you get to the cabin soon. We have all been hard hit with bronchial flu. I wanted to go up today but that's out. I went back to work yesterday....and shouldn't have. If I don't feel a lot better tomorrow...I'll be off the rest of the week....healing up!

Old Old Buddy

KSalzwedel
Member
# Posted: 2 Jan 2013 14:27
Reply 


We got up to the cabin for a long New Year's weekend. My husband finished up the electrical wiring to the 2nd floor, and we got sheetrock up! He assembled the platform bed that he premade at home, put some kitchen shelving in, and I got the mattress and bedding assembled and the temporary kitchen arranged.

We slept our first night in the cabin. It was warm (all that insulation did its job) and cozy. We had space. It felt so much better than the camper, don't get me wrong I love our camper. Space is marvelous.

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